Summary of the invention
For solving the said problem that is associated with prior art; The invention provides a kind of device that is used for supporting workpiece; Said device comprises: the continous way pedestal; It has smooth supporting surface and the opening that runs through said pedestal, and said supporting surface is used to keep arranging that said workpiece on it, said opening are used to make the back side of said workpiece to expose partly; And the continous way anchor clamps, it has the smooth clamping area parallel with said supporting surface, is used for said workpiece is clamped in said supporting surface.
According to a scheme of the present invention, a kind of device is provided, wherein; Said pedestal further comprises at least one vacuum tank, and said vacuum tank has first opening towards said supporting surface, and second opening that is connected with vacuum source; Wherein, When said vacuum source is connected, in said at least one vacuum tank, produce negative pressure, thereby make between said workpiece and the said supporting surface contact firm.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a kind of device is provided, wherein, said anchor clamps have a plurality of elongation formula clamps, and each clamp all has smooth clamping area; And wherein, said clamping area drops in the common flat surfaces.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, a kind of device is provided, said device further comprises at least one thermo-mechanical drive, is used to regulate the relative distance between said clamping area and the said supporting surface.
According to another scheme of the present invention; A kind of device is provided; Said device further comprises at least one backing-out punch that is combined on the said anchor clamps, is used for when said anchor clamps unclamp clamp and move away said supporting surface, said workpiece being ejected from said clamping area.
According to another aspect of the present invention; A kind of device is provided; Wherein, Said pedestal further has depression, and said depression is arranged in said supporting surface and is used to allow end effector to pass through, so that said workpiece is loaded on the said device or said workpiece from said device unloading and is not bumped against with any parts of said device.
Through below in conjunction with the detailed description of accompanying drawing to embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that the object of the invention and advantage will become.
Embodiment
With reference to facing specifying of some embodiments of the present invention down, can more easily understand the present invention.
With reference now to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2,, the stereogram and the end view of bracing or strutting arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention is provided respectively.Bracing or strutting arrangement 100 comprises: pedestal 1, and it is used for support arrangement wafer 101 (not shown at Fig. 1) on it; Anchor clamps 2, it is used for wafer 101 is clamped in pedestal 1, so that reduce the flexibility of wafer 101; Two thermo- mechanical drive 3a and 3b, its vertical range between ground alignment jig 2 and the pedestal 1 that is used to cooperate; And 4 backing-out punch 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, it is used for making wafer 101 to be easy to discharge from anchor clamps 2.
With reference now to Fig. 3,, the exploded view of the bracing or strutting arrangement 100 among Fig. 1 is provided, detailed icon the assembling of parts.Pedestal 1 has smooth supporting surface 11, in supporting surface 11, has the opening 12 that runs through.Being designed and sized to of opening 12; Make the wafer 101 (not shown in Fig. 3) that is arranged in operation on the pedestal 1 contact supporting surface 11 fully, the marked region on wafer 101 back sides is exposed under the marking arrangement that is positioned at opening 12 belows fully so that guarantee firm support.
In the manufacturing environment of automation, wafer shifts through the end effector of robot usually.Given this, cut out a depression 13, be used to allow said end effector to pass through, make the wafer 101 that shifts through end effector can suitably be positioned at the top of depression 13 and be arranged on the supporting surface 11 light and slowly in a side of supporting surface 11.
As shown in Figure 3, the exterior contour of pedestal 1 is the octagon of symmetry, and the profile of opening 12 is circles coaxial with this octagon.Yet those skilled in the art should be appreciated that the structure of pedestal 1 is not limited thereto.For example, in one embodiment, pedestal 1 is rectangular shapes with the exterior contour of opening 12.In another embodiment, pedestal 1 is round-shaped with the exterior contour of opening 12.
In the embodiment of pedestal as shown in Figure 3, pedestal 1 further has four the vacuum tank 14a, 14b, 14c and the 14d that in supporting surface 11, cut out (14d is not shown in Fig. 3).In Fig. 4 A of the partial cross section view that bracing or strutting arrangement 100 is provided and Fig. 4 B, illustrate the details of vacuum tank 14.Each vacuum tank 14 vertical extent advances in the pedestal 1, and has towards first opening 141 of supporting surface 11 and second opening 142 that is connected with the first end 141 of horizontal air passage 14 in the pedestal 1.Air duct 15 has on the side of pedestal 1 by the second end 152 of plug screw 16 obturations.Pedestal 1, bore an aperture 17 from the downside of pedestal 1, aperture 17 has first opening 171 that is connected on the air duct 15, and can be combined in second opening 172 on the vacuum source by operation.In operation, when wafer 101 is arranged on the supporting surface 11 and first opening 141 of each vacuum tank 14 when being covered by the back side of wafer 101, start to be connected to the vacuum source on the aperture 17.Then, air is discharged from air duct 15 and vacuum tank 14; In air duct 15 and vacuum tank 14, produce negative pressure, thereby make wafer 101 firmly attached on the supporting surface 11.
Turn back to Fig. 1 now, four vacuum tanks 14 are arcuate shape, and on the inward flange of pedestal 1, are evenly spaced apart.Yet those skilled in the art should be appreciated that quantity, size, shape and the position of vacuum tank 14 are not limited thereto.For example, in one embodiment, pedestal 1 has three even isolated arc vacuum tanks 14.In another embodiment, a plurality of vacuum tanks 14 are spaced apart on pedestal 1, and each vacuum tank is all by with linear interpolation.
Continuation is with reference to figure 1, and the anchor clamps 2 that the external dimensions of external dimensions ratio open 12 is big coaxially are installed in the top of pedestal 1.For making wafer 101 during gripping, be reduced to minimum level because of damage that contact causes; Anchor clamps 2 do not adopt continuous clamping area; But having four even isolated outstanding clamp 21a, 21b, 21c and 24d, each clamp defines independently clamping area 22 (not shown in Fig. 1).Four clamps 21 are configured to make corresponding clamping area 22 to drop in the common flat surfaces parallel with the supporting surface of pedestal 1 11.
As shown in Figure 1, anchor clamps 2 are circular rings.Yet those skilled in the art should be appreciated that the shape of anchor clamps is not limited thereto.For example, in one embodiment, anchor clamps 2 are straight-flanked rings.
In an embodiment of said anchor clamps, clamp 21 is configured to aim at vacuum tank 14.In operation; When anchor clamps 2 move closer to the wafer 101 that is arranged on the pedestal 1; Clamp 21 finally contacts with wafer 101 and clamping force is applied on the wafer 101; The edge part of the bending of wafer 101 is flattened on first opening 141 of vacuum tank 14, form the space of a sealing thus, be used for producing therein negative pressure.Yet those skilled in the art should be appreciated that the structure of clamp is not limited thereto.Do not require with vacuum tank and accurately mate.
Continuation is with reference to figure 1 and Fig. 2, and two thermo-mechanical drives 3 are arranged in the two opposite sides of anchor clamps 2 on the pedestal 1, is used to control the motion of anchor clamps 2 with respect to pedestal 1 with cooperating.Fig. 3 illustrates the details of each thermo-mechanical drive.Each thermo-mechanical drive comprises two guide shafts 31, two guide bushes 32, two cushion blocks 33, board 34 and driving elements 35.Each guide shaft 31 utilizes screw to be fastened on the pedestal 1, and each guide shaft is combined with a guide bush 32.Driving element 35 can activate two guide bushes 32 through operation, and it is slided along the guide shaft that is combined 31 simultaneously.Board 34 is connected on the anchor clamps 2 through three connectors 341, and is connected on two guide bushes 32 through two cushion blocks 33 that are arranged in therebetween, is used for sending the motion of guide bush 32 to anchor clamps 2.
In operation, two thermo-mechanical drives 3 make anchor clamps 2 vertically move between predetermined spare space and predetermined clamped position with respect to pedestal 1.Refer again to Fig. 4 A and Fig. 4 B now, the partial cross section view of said bracing or strutting arrangement when being in predetermined spare space and clamped position respectively is provided.In the standby position shown in Fig. 4 A, anchor clamps 2 leave pedestal 1, and between has produced the space, and this permission end effector is positioned over wafer 101 at any position that wherein and not can make wafer 101 and bumps against with anchor clamps 2 or pedestal 1.Said end effector carries out accurate position adjustments on X, Y direction, thereby makes wafer 101 and pedestal 1 coaxial.When having realized on time, end effector is descended in the depression 13, until the EDGE CONTACT of wafer 101 to supporting surface 11.Then, two thermo-mechanical drives 3 make anchor clamps 2 drop to clamped position.At the clamped position place shown in Fig. 4 B, clamping area 22 contacts with wafer 101 and it is applied suitable pressure, so that crooked edge flattens and wafer surface do not caused damage.When suitable supports guaranteed through anchor clamps 2 and supporting surface 11 wafer, end effector is further descended towards the bottom of depression 13 and leave wafer 101, subsequently from caving in 13 bottom withdrawal.
In an embodiment of thermo-mechanical drive, driving element 35 is dibit open cycle system, for example pneumatic cylinder.In another embodiment, driving element 35 is multidigit closed-loop systems, for example linear step import or servo guider.
Those skilled in the art should be appreciated that the quantity of thermo-mechanical drive 3 and position do not receive restriction shown in Figure 1.For example, in one embodiment, bracing or strutting arrangement 100 has three thermo-mechanical drives 3 that are evenly distributed on the pedestal 1.
As depicted in figs. 1 and 2, four backing-out punch 4 are combined on the anchor clamps 2, are used for after unclamping clamp, wafer 101 being ejected from clamping area 22.With reference now to Fig. 3, Fig. 4 A and Fig. 4 B,, the details of backing-out punch 4 is provided.Each backing-out punch 4 comprises support 41, penetrator ram 42, retainer 43 and biasing member 44.Support 41 is fixed on the anchor clamps 2, and in end face 413, has through hole 411, and through hole 23 perpendicular alignmnets in said through hole 411 and the anchor clamps 2 are used to admit penetrator ram 42.The penetrator ram 42 that is arranged in wherein can be through operation with respect to anchor clamps 2 upper and lower moving.One end of retainer 43 is combined on the penetrator ram 41, and the other end is arranged in the vertical channel 412 on the side of support 41.The width limitations of vertical channel 412 moving horizontally of retainer 43, thus penetrator ram 42 is reduced to minimum level around the rotation of its longitudinal axis.The length of vertical channel 412 defines the vertical moving scope of retainer 43, thereby has confirmed the vertical moving scope of penetrator ram 42.Biasing member 44 is arranged between the end face 413 of retainer 43 and support 43, is used to make retainer 43 towards the biasing of the lower end of groove 412, thereby correspondingly defines the default position of penetrator ram 42.In the default position shown in Fig. 4 A, preset distance has been given prominence to from clamping area 22 in the lower end 421 of penetrator ram 42.
With reference now to Fig. 4 A, Fig. 4 B and Fig. 5,, the lower end 421 of penetrator ram 42 is step ends, and it has protuberance 422 and depressed part 423.When anchor clamps 2 were in like Fig. 4 B and clamped position shown in Figure 5, protuberance 422 was crushed on the pedestal 1, and the preset distance between protuberance 422 and the clamping area 22 is shortened.But, between depressed part 423 and wafer 101, do not have direct contact.Therefore, there is not bias force to send wafer 101 to through penetrator ram 42.
Will be the wafer 101 of mark from the operation of installing 100 unloadings, end effector moves through depression 13 so that be positioned at the below of wafer 101, and moves up to contact with wafer 101.Then, anchor clamps 2 unclamp clamp, thereby and move up and leave clamped position and get back to the spare space.The corresponding mobile of penetrator ram 42 along equidirectional delayed owing to the bias force that is applied to it can exist.Protuberance 422 keeps in touch with pedestal 1, is resumed up to the preset distance with clamping area 22.Therefore, attached to the wafer on the clamping area 22 101 before being ejected by depressed part 423, its distance suitable that only can move up with shoulder height.Like this, through the maximum dropping distance of control wafer 101, the damage effect of wafer 101 is lowered to minimum level.When making wafer 101 when anchor clamps 2 discharge fully, the end effector that is supported with wafer on it moves up and leaves pedestal 1, and moving-out device 100 subsequently.
In an embodiment of backing-out punch, biasing member 44 is compression springs.In another embodiment, biasing member 44 is pneumatic pins.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, each backing-out punch 4 all is installed in the central authorities of clamp 21.Yet those skilled in the art should be appreciated that the quantity of backing-out punch 4 and position are not limited to this.For example, in one embodiment, two backing-out punch 4 are combined on the two ends of each clamp 21.
Although describe the present invention, should be appreciated that these embodiment only are that scope exemplary and of the present invention is not limited thereto with reference to specific embodiment.Optional embodiment of the present invention is conspicuous as far as the technical staff who has ordinary skill in the field under the present invention.These optional embodiment are regarded as and comprise within the spirit and scope of the present invention.Therefore, scope of the present invention has obtained description through the claim of enclosing, and has obtained the support of above-mentioned specification.